Thursday, October 31, 2013

To celebrate Nickelodeon USA starting to premiere and show the networks brand new original animated comedy series "Breadwinners" soon, the (geo-locked) official Nick USA website, Nick.com, has unveiled the networks all-new official "Breadwinners" show webpage to accompany Nick's all-new Nicktoon, which visitors located within North America can visit here at nick.com/breadwinners!

Nick USA's brand new "Breadwinners" show homepage features a 'Meet The Characters' section featuring character bios about the two main characters in the show, SwaySway and Buhdeuce, two carefree ducks who fly around in a super sweet rocket van, delivering bread to their hungry customers, show information about "Breadwinners", a "Breadwinners" message board (forum) for fans to talk about Nick's brand new comedy show, and a online streaming video clip featuring a exclusive digital short called "This Is RiDUCKulous!", which gives NickHeads a bread-tastic taste of the new show you will LOAF! YIP YIP! With "Breadwinners", you're about to get some BREAD up in yo BEAK!

"Breadwinners", the best thing since sliced bread, is a all-new animated series that follows two booty-shaking carefree ducks called SwaySway and Buhdeuce who fly around in a super sweet rocket van, delivering bread to their hungry customers. The best buds live together, laugh together, and get into all sorts of riDUCKulous adventures together on their planet Pondgea. No matter what, nothing stops these two friends from having 24/7 fun and a getting a little bit QUAZY! Look out for bucket loads of delicious bread, head boppin' music, and non-stop booty-shakin' dance parties. Coming soon! YEAH BOYEEEEEE!

Nickelodeon channels and networks around the world (Nickelodeon International / Planet Nickelodeon) have announced on their official websites the spooktacular Halloween programming highlights they have for their Nickelodeon Viewers to celebrate the spookiest and scariest day of the year, Halloween, on Thursday 31st October 2013!

Nickelodeon UK & Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK will be holding a special Halloween-themed party from 6:05 pm, full of Halloween-themed episodes of popular Nickelodeon shows and a special Halloween movie!:

6:00pm - SNEAK PEEK of new Nickelodeon show The Haunted Hathaways
6:05pm - How to Rock: How to Rock Halloween
6:35pm - Life With Boys: Do You Wanna Dance
7:05pm - Big Time Rush: Big Time Halloween
7:35pm - iCarly: iHalfoween
8:05pm - Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred
9:45pm - Fred: The ShowFred and the Scary Movie

Nickelodeon Portugal has announced on their official website that to celebrate Halloween, they'll be hosting a ghoulish Halloween marathon full of some of the most scariest episodes from popular Nick shows, including "SpongeBob SquarePants" ("Scaredy Pants" & "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm"), "Fanboy and Chum Chum" ("Digital Pet Cemetery"), "The Penguins of Madagascar" ("I Was a Penguin Zombie"), "T.U.F.F. Puppy" ("Happy Howl-O-Ween"), and "Power Rangers Super Samurai" ("Trickster Treat"), plus the Original Nickelodeon TV movie "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" (locally titled "O Rapaz Lobisomem" ("The Werewolf Boy")). Nick Portugal's Halloween line-up starts at 2.10pm!

Nickelodeon Spain (Espana) has also announced plans to celebrate "Halloween on Nickelodeon 2013" with spine-tinging episodes of hit Nickelodeon shows "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Fanboy and Chum Chum", "The Penguins of Madagascar", "T.U.F.F. Puppy", and "Power Rangers Super Samurai" ("Trickster Treat"), plus the Nick TV film "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf".

Nickelodeon Africa has also announced plans to hold a Nickelodeon Halloween which a line-up full of some of the spookiest Halloween-themed episodes of Nick shows "SpongeBob SquarePants", "The Penguins of Madagascar" and "T.U.F.F. Puppy", plus the Nick TV film "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf".

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

To celebrate Nick USA starting to premiere and show Nickelodeon's brand new superhero-themed comedy series "The Thundermans" from Saturday 2nd November 2013 at 9:00pm (ET/PT) as part of the networks Fall 2013 programming highlights, Nick USA's publicity office has unveiled a all-new online streaming video clip which gives a super sneak peek at the first episode of "The Thundermans", "Phoebe vs. Max", which you can watch below!

In the video, it's school picture day, and Phoebe Thunderman (Kira Kosarin) is excited that it isn't as formal as picture day at her old superhero school. Drawing inspiration from Nickelodeon slime, her twin brother, Max Thunderman (Jack Griffo), has a plan to make sure she gets noticed in the school yearbook! Say Cheese!:

The first episode of "The Thundermans" is currently available to watch for free on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, PlayStation Store, Samsung Media Hub and Vudu until Saturday 2nd November 2013, along with a free behind-the-scenes video called "Meet The Thundermans".

Phoebe and Max Thunderman are 14-year-old fraternal twins turbocharged by freeze breath and the power to move objects via telekinesis. Phoebe, a good-natured sister, always tries to do the right thing, while Max, a troublemaker, dreams of one day becoming a super villain. Brother Billy (Diego Velazquez) moves at super speed, while younger sister Nora (Addison Riecke) cuts solid objects with her laser beam eyes. Rounding out the family are parents Hank (Chris Tallman), who possesses extraordinary strength and the ability to fly, and Barb (Rosa Blasi), who can generate lightning from her hands. Ultimately, the family must attempt keep their powers under wraps and lead a "normal" life... but can life ever be "normal" in a family of superheroes?

In the series premiere, "Phoebe vs. Max," a prank war between Max and Phoebe gets out of hand when Max pranks his sister on picture day at school and she finally decides to take on the family's troublemaker once and for all.

Beginning Friday 1st November 2013, fans can visit Nick.com to play a brand-new mini game, "Heroes and Villains Unite". In the game, the Thundermans' home has fallen apart because of an invention that went haywire. Players must play as Max and Phoebe to make repairs before their parents return, personalized by their own personalities. Fans can also visit Nick.com/thundermans to access videos, quizzes, polls and photo galleries. Additionally, viewers can keep up with the show by liking "The Thundermans" Facebook page and following "The Thundermans" Instagram account.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and The Thundermans News!

Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, has announced in a series of posts (Tweets) on their official Twitter profile page, @NickJrUK, that Nick Jr. UK and Ireland will start to premiere and show Nickelodeon Preschools brand new CGI-animated preschool series "PAW Patrol" weekdays at 4:00pm (repeated at 5:00pm on Nick Jr. UK's plus-one (+1) timeshift channel, Nick Jr.+1) from Monday 4th November 2013, as part of Nick Junior UK's Autumn/Winter 2013 programming highlights!

To celebrate, Nick Jr. UK will be introducing viewers to the "Paw Patrol" pack everyday this week on their official Twitter feed!:

To further celebrate Nick Jr. UK launching the brand new preschool series "Paw Patrol" on Monday 4th November 2013, NickJr.co.uk has unveiled the channels official "Paw Patrol" show website, which you can visit here at nickjr.co.uk/pawpatrol. Nick Junior UK's official "Paw Patrol" webpage features information about the series and each of the characters in the show - Chase the German Shepherd Police Pup, Marshall the Dalmatian Firepup, Rocky the Mixed Breed Recycler, Rubble the English Bulldog Construction Worker, Zuma the Chocolate Labrador Retriever Water-Rescue Pup, Skye the Cockapoo Aviator, and Zack Ryder Jr., the human leader, rescuer, and teacher of the Pups - online streaming videos featuring clips from episodes of "Paw Patrol", and a 'Create' area featuring fantastic crafts and activities, including colouring in sheets and downloadable puzzles!

"Paw Patrol", a Nickelodeon co-production with Spin Master Entertainment, stars a pack of six heroic rescue pups – Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma and Skye - who are led by a tech-savvy boy named Ryder. Together they work hard to protect the Adventure Bay Community believing, "no job is too big, no pup is too small!" The series features a curriculum that focuses on citizenship, social skills and problem-solving.

Nick Jr. UK are also currently holding a exclusive "Bubble Guppies" competition on their official Twitter stream, @NickJRUK, in which fans and viewers can win Bubbletastic Bath Squirters by following Nick Junior on Twitter and ReTweeting that days contest post!Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nick Jr. UK and Paw Patrol News!

Get ready for some supernatural fun this Halloween! Nickelodeon UK has announced the very exciting Nick UK News in a Tweet (post) on their official Twitter profile page, @NickelodeonUK, that to celebrate and promote Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK starting to premiere Nick's brand-new live-action comedy series "The Haunted Hathaways" every Tuesday to Friday at 6:00pm (replayed at 7:00pm on Nick+1) from Tuesday 5th November 2013 and Halloween, the spookiest and scariest day of the year, Nick UK & Eire/HD will be showing a all-new special sneak peek preview of "The Haunted Hathaways" on Thursday 31st October 2013 at 6pm (repeated at 7:00pm on Nick UK's plus-one timeshift channel, Nick+1)!:

To further celebrate Nickelodeon UK & Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK starting to show "The Haunted Hathaways" from Tuesday 5th November 2013 at 6:00pm, Nick.co.uk has unveiled Nick UK & Eire's brand new official "The Haunted Hathaways" show website to accompany the brand new sitcom, which you can visit here at nick.co.uk/hauntedhathaways!

Nick UK's brand new "Haunted Hathaways" show webpage features character spooktacular bios and information about each character in THH - Taylor, Frankie, Michelle, Miles, Louie and Ray - a selection of ghostly online streaming videos featuring clips from the show, and a photograph gallery featuring spine-tingling stills from the series!

"The Haunted Hathaways" follows Michelle Hathaway (Ginifer King) and her daughters Taylor (Amber Montana) and Frankie (Breanna Yde), as they relocate from New York to New Orleans to open a bakery. Their new life does not quite go to plan, as they arrive to find their new home is already occupied by another family: father Ray Preston (Chico Benymon) and his sons Miles (Curtis Harris) and Louie (Benjamin “Lil P-Nut” Flores Jr.). However they are not just any family – they are a family of ghosts. There are plenty of bumps in the night, as the families learn to navigate each other’s worlds whilst sharing the same home.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon UK and The Haunted Hathaways News!

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has announced and confirmed the exciting Nickelodeon News in the following press release, from PRNewswire, that Nick USA will premiere and show the brand new Nickelodeon Original TV Movie, "Jinxed", rated TVG, on Friday 29th November 2013 at 7:00pm (ET/PT), an hour earlier than previously reported, as part of the networks Thanksgiving celebrations!

"Jinxed" follows the misadventures of Meg Murphy (Ciara Bravo, "Big Time Rush"), a 14-year-old girl whose family has been magically cursed with "Murphy's Law", a spell of never-ending bad luck. While spending the summer at her grandpa's (Jay Brazeau) house, Meg develops a friendship with a local cutie named Brett (Jack Griffo, "The Thundermans"). The possibility of romance probes Meg to discover the way to break the family's "if anything can go wrong, it will" curse. She and her daredevil little brother, Charlie (Jacob Bertrand, "Marvin Marvin"), set off on a hilarious, calamity-filled zany adventure to break the 100-year-old jinx that has caused the Murphys to become the unluckiest family ever and try to turn their family's luck around once and for all, and give Meg the normal life she's always dreamed of living.

Fans can visit nick.com/jinxed to access an exclusive sneak peek of the film, photo galleries, quizzes, challenges and behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the cast.

"Jinxed" is executive produced by Scott McAboy ("Swindle", "Big Time Movie", "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh"). The movie is directed by Stephen Herek ("The Mighty Ducks", "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", and the Academy Award-nominated "Mr. Holland's Opus") from a teleplay by Aury Wallington ("Sex and the City", "Veronica Mars", "Cupid's Christmas") and Neal Israel, based on an unproduced script by Bill Timoney.

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

The Murphy Family Sets Out To Reverse The Curse In Nickelodeon's All-New Original Comedic TV Movie Jinxed, Premiering Friday, Nov. 29, At 7 p.m. (ET/PT)

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Murphy family sets out to reverse the curse in Jinxed, Nickelodeon's hilarious brand-new original TV movie starring Ciara Bravo (Big Time Rush) and Jack Griffo (The Thundermans), premiering on Friday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). The 90-minute comedy follows the misadventures of Meg Murphy (Bravo) whose family has been magically cursed with "Murphy's Law," a spell of never-ending bad luck. Meg sets off on a zany journey to break the 100-year-old jinx that has caused the Murphys to become the unluckiest family ever.

"Jinxed is Nickelodeon's fun and contemporary take on the old adage of 'Murphy's Law,' infused with a positive message to embrace who you are," said Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon. "Ciara Bravo and Jack Griffo team up to take fans on an amazing larger-than-life journey filled with humor, action and romance."

Jinxed follows Meg Murphy (Bravo), a 14-year-old girl whose family has been magically cursed with "Murphy's Law." While spending the summer at her grandpa's (Jay Brazeau) house, Meg develops a friendship with a local cutie named Brett (Griffo). The possibility of romance probes Meg to discover the way to break the family's "if anything can go wrong, it will" curse. She and her daredevil little brother, Charlie (Jacob Bertrand, Marvin Marvin), set off on a hilarious, calamity-filled adventure to try to turn their family's luck around once and for all, and give Meg the normal life she's always dreamed of living.

Fans can visit nick.com/jinxed to access an exclusive sneak peek of the movie, photo galleries, quizzes, challenges and behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the cast.

Jinxed is executive produced by Scott McAboy (Swindle, Big Time Movie, Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh). The movie is directed by Stephen Herek (The Mighty Ducks, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and the Academy Award-nominated Mr. Holland's Opus) from a teleplay by Aury Wallington (Sex and the City, Veronica Mars, Cupid's Christmas) and Neal Israel, based on an unproduced script by Bill Timoney.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 34th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

Nickelodeon TV show creator Dan Schneider has announced in a Tweet (post) on his official Twitter profile page, @DanWarp, the very exciting Nickelodeon News that Nick USA will premiere and show the brand new episode of Nick's original buddy comedy series "Sam & Cat" titled "#PeezyB", which guest stars Classic Nickelodeon Star Kel Mitchell, on Saturday 2nd November 2013 at 8pm ET/PT / 7pm C!

In the all-new "Sam & Cat" episode called "#PeezyB", Sam Puckett gets a job as the assistant to rapper, Peezy B (Kel Mitchell). Meanwhile, Cat Valentine (Ariana Grande) finds babysitting much more challenging without Sam around to help.

The upcoming brand new episode of "Sam & Cat", "#PeezyB", reunites Kel Mitchell with "Sam & Cat" creator/executive producer Dan Schneider, who was a producer on the classic Nickelodeon sketch show "All That", in which Kel Mitchell played different characters, such as Ed the Good Burger Guy, Coach Kreeton, Repairman, Officer Colby (Cheese Police), Okrah, Clavis (Mavis and Clavis), Dr. K, Pasta Man, the hit Classic Nick sitcom "Kenan & Kel", in which Kel Mitchell played the orange soda loving Kel Kimble, and a writer and star of the popular Nickelodeon Movie "Good Burger", based on the popular "All That" sketch of the same name, in which he and Kel played Mr. Baily and Ed, respectively. Kel Mitchell last made a appearance on Nickelodeon as part of the "All That 10th Anniversary Reunion Special" in 2005 (Source: Nick And More).

Kel Mitchell can currently be heard as the voice of Jay Jay in the Nicktoons (USA) animated series "Rob Dyrdek's Wild Grinders".

Kel Mitchell's Nickelodeon co-star Kenan Thompson's also made a brief return to Nickelodeon in 2011, when he guest starred in the special crossover episode of "iCarly" and "Victorious", which are also Dan Schneider shows, and which "Sam & Cat" is a spin-off from, called "iParty With Victorious".

NickHeads located in the USA can watch a special online streaming video clip featuring a sneak peek from the brand new episode of S&C, in which PeezyB learns that if you mess with Sam Puckett, you may get fruit-slapped, here on Nick.com/SamAndCat!Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Sam & Cat News!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has today, Tuesday 29th October 2013, announced in the following press release, from TVByTheNumbers.com, the exciting Nickelodeon News that Nick USA's October 2013 ratings performance nabbed the network a monthly win with Kids 2-11 and Kids 2-5 across all TV and basic cable's top spot with total viewers, fueling Nickelodeon USA's ninth straight month of gains for 2013!

For the month, Nick US averaged a 2.6/852K Kids 2-11 (+3%), 3.6/456K Kids 2-5 (+16%) and 1.6M total viewers, with gains driven by Nick's hit original animated series (Nicktoon) "SpongeBob SquarePants" -- the month's top animated series with K2-11 (4.8/1.6M), and its hit preschool programming lineup featuring "Paw Patrol", which is the month's number-one preschool series on all TV, averaging a 6.0/768K with Kids 2-5. In addition to its monthly gains, Nickelodeon's preschool block is posting double-digit year to date increases, up +14% with K2-5.

Nickelodeon's monthly ratings performance was also bolstered by its hit animation roster, including "Sanjay & Craig", which ranks as the number-three animated series for the month with Kids 2-11 (4.4/1.4M) and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (4.3/1.4M), which comes in at number-four with Kids 2-11.

"Instant Mom" continues to be a hit on Nick at Nite averaging 1.2M total viewers and posting year over year gains with Adults 18-49 (.30/323K, +9%) and Women 18-49 (.41/222K, +15%), since its Sunday 29th September 2013 premiere. Most recently, the series hit a ratings high with its Oct. 27 premiere, averaging a 0.4/420K with Adults 18-49 and posting double-digit gains with Kids 2-11 (1.7/559K, +13%).

NEW YORK – Oct 29, 2013 – Nickelodeon’s October ratings performance nabbed the net a monthly win with Kids 2-11 and Kids 2-5 across all TV and basic cable’s top spot with total viewers, fueling Nick’s ninth straight month of gains for 2013. For the month, Nick averaged a 2.6/852K Kids 2-11 (+3%), 3.6/456K Kids 2-5 (+16%) and 1.6M total viewers, with gains driven by SpongeBob SquarePants--the month’s top animated series with K2-11 (4.8/1.6M), and its hit preschool lineup featuring Paw Patrol, which is the month’s number-one preschool series on all TV, averaging a 6.0/768K with Kids 2-5. In addition to its monthly gains, Nickelodeon’s preschool block is posting double-digit year to date increases, up +14% with K2-5.

Nickelodeon’s monthly ratings performance was also bolstered by its hit animation roster, including Sanjay & Craig, which ranks as the number-three animated series for the month with Kids 2-11 (4.4/1.4M) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (4.3/1.4M), which comes in at number-four with Kids 2-11.

Instant Mom continues to be a hit on Nick at Nite averaging 1.2M total viewers and posting year over year gains with Adults 18-49 (.30/323K, +9%) and Women 18-49 (.41/222K, +15%), since its Sept. 29, 2013 premiere. Most recently, the series hit a ratings high with its Oct. 27 premiere, averaging a 0.4/420K with Adults 18-49 and posting double-digit gains with Kids 2-11 (1.7/559K, +13%).

Nickelodeon, now in its 34th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

The television ratings news website TVbytheNumbers.com is reporting the fantastic Nickelodeon News that, for the weeks ending Sunday 13th, Sunday 20th and Sunday 27th October 2013, Nick USA has been the number one US cable TV network in total day viewing, beating Disney, TBS and ESPN!

Nickelodeon has announced in the following press release, from TVbytheNumbers, the exciting Nick News that the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families has given their hit global city building app based on the networks hit original animated series (Nicktoon) "SpongeBob SquarePants", called "SpongeBob Moves In", a spine-chilling update just in time for Halloween!

In the latest update, gobs of ghosts hungry for a ghoulish dish have invaded Bikini Bottom. Players must conjure up Rusty's Rib Eye Restaurant and help SpongeBob make the infamous 'Rusty on Rye' sandwich and other recipes for the newly arrived ghastly guests.

Nickelodeon has also announced that, since "SpongeBob Moves In" was released globally in June 2013, the city building app has become the networks most popular global kids' app ever! On release, "SpongeBob Moves In" debuted right at number one among all paid apps, and remained in the top spot for more than five weeks, and it was number one in 18 countries!

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

NICKELODEON’S HIT GLOBAL APP, SPONGEBOB MOVES IN, GETS A SPINE-CHILLING UPDATE JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN

City Building App Marks Network’s Most Popular Global Kids' App Ever

SpongeBob Moves In gets in to the Halloween spirit with a brand-new update featuring new characters; buildings; decorations; recipes and grisly in-game currency, green glowing ectoplasm.

Gobs of ghosts have invaded Bikini Bottom hungry for a ghoulish dish. Players must conjure up Rusty’s Rib Eye Restaurant and help SpongeBob make the Infamous ‘Rusty on Rye’ sandwich and other recipes for the ghastly guests.

Additional Game Features Include:

* New Characters: move in Rusty Rickets, Old Man Jenkins, and Slasher McGee to roam through the town.

* New Buildings: place Rusty's Rib Eye Restaurant to make seven new spooky recipes. Build the Barg'N-Mart to unlock special discount items including all new special ingredients for the Halloween recipes. Players can also add the Psychic’s Tent and Haunted House to their collection.

* New Recipes: grill up the ghosts’ all-time favorite sandwich, the Rusty on Rye, and serve it with a side of splintered slaw.

SpongeBob Moves In was released globally in June 2013, and debuted right at number one among all paid apps, and remained in the top spot for more than five weeks, and it was number one in 18 countries.

In SpongeBob Moves In players can customize the look of their undersea city with a variety of characters, buildings, and accessories. In the ongoing quest to keep Bikini Bottom inhabitants happy by fulfilling their wishes, players must collect happiness to fill the town’s happiness meter. Residents wish for food and gifts from the various Bikini Bottom restaurants and shops, like Krabby Patties from the Krusty Krab or a bouquet of flowers from the Flower Shop. Once their wish is granted a treasure chest will appear for the player to open and collect gold coins, happiness or a new recipe to add to their collection. When the happiness meter is filled, players advance to the next level in the game, earning coins, game experience and unlocking more quests, buildings and accessories to buy in the store.

Nickelodeon Australia has announced the aweslime Nickelodeon International News in a post on their official Facebook profile page, facebook.com/NickelodeonAustralia, that Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand will premiere and show the brand new Halloween special episode of Nick's all-new original buddy comedy series "Sam & Cat", titled "#DollSitting", on Thursday 31st October 2013 at 4:30pm, as part of Nick Oz & NZ's Scary Week programming line-up! To celebrate, Nick AU & NZ have unveiled a exclusive online streaming video clip which goes behind-the-scenes to show viewers how the shows make-up artists transformed Jennette McCurdy (Sam Puckett) look like Ariana Grande (Cat Valentine) for the all-new episode, which Australian and Kiwi NickHeads can watch here on nickelodeon.com.au!:

Monday, October 28, 2013

Nickelodeon Italy (Italia) has announced in the 'Notizie'/'News' section on their official website, NickTV.it, the exciting Nickelodeon Europe news that Nick Italy today, Monday 28th October 2013, started to premiere and show more brand new episodes from the first season of Nick's hit CG-animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" ("Tartarughe Ninja") television series, including the all-new episodes "Karai's Vendetta", "The Pulverizer Returns!" and "Parasitica", every night at 9:00pm, which will lead up to Nick Italy premiering the one-hour (two-part) season one finale episode of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", called "Showdown", on Saturday 2nd November 2013 at 9pm!

Plus, to celebrate Nick Italia starting to debut brand new episodes from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" season two soon, NickTV.it will unveil a brand new and exclusive TMNT online game on Monday 4th November 2013 in which players can unlock a special preview of Nickelodeon Italy's trailer (promo) to advertise the all-new second season of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"! Booyakasha!

Get ready to experience a week full of adventures over the rooftops of New York in the company of TMNT. From Monday, October 28 every night at 21 on Nickelodeon you will see the latest episodes of the first season of TMNT!

In these new episodes will meet some of our old favorites: Karai will try to kidnap April on behalf of Shredder, and the [Pulverizer] will be the infiltration of the Ninja Turtles in the Elite Ninja. Leo will have to deal with the sting of a wasp mutant, while Donnie will try to hit on April freeing the father will succeed?

Saturday, November 2 to 21, do not miss the grand finale of the first season! Believe it: it will be full of surprises! Monday, November 4, the appointment is instead here on the site: thanks to a new game you will see a preview of the trailer for the second season of TMNT!

Grab your Best Friend and Hold on to your Butt! Nickelodeon Australia has announced the exciting Nickelodeon International News in a series of posts on their official Facebook profile page, facebook.com/NickelodeonAustralia, that Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand will start to premiere and show Nickelodeon's brand new original animated series (Nicktoon) "Sanjay and Craig" from Monday 4th November 2013 at 7:30am! Nick Australia also posted one of their "Sanjay and Craig" launch promos/trailers on their official FB page, which you can also watch below!:

If you think your mates are mad, wait till you meet Sanjay and Craig - a dude snake duo who love epic adventures!!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Nickelodeon UK has announced the very exciting Nickelodeon UK News in a Tweet (post) on their official Twitter profile page, @NickelodeonUK, that to celebrate the October 2013 British and Irish school half-term/mid-term holiday break, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK will be premiering and showing TWO brand new episodes of Nick's all-new original buddy comedy series "Sam & Cat" on Monday 28th October 2013!:

Quick note for you guys that Sam&Cat will air from 5.30pm nxt Monday!Set your alarm! Plus they'll be TWO episodes! #TEAMSAMANDCAT.

According to Nick UK's "What's On" schedule section on their official website, Nick.co.uk, the newness starts at 5:30pm when Nickelodeon premieres the brand new "Sam and Cat" episode "#TheBritBrats", where Sam Puckett and Cat Valentine babysit two girls, two polite British girls, Gwen and Ruby (guest starring Internet sensations Sophia Grace & Rosie), who turn out to be con artists. Sam goes to Elderly Acres in an attempt to fulfill a community service requirement for her online high school.

Nickelodeon UK will then show a second brand new episode of "Sam & Cat" at 6:00pm! You might be expecting the episode to feature a pygmy goat and a mixed martial arts fighter, but Nick has a very special treat to celebrate half-term and Halloween... "#DollSitting"!! so special, it's a surprise! Find out which all-new episode of "Sam & Cat" Nick UK will be debuting tomorrow at 6:00pm!

Below is a selection of articles from around the internet which feature news, commentary and information about Nickelodeon:

Need a babysitter? You can't go wrong with samandcatssuperrockinfuntimebabysittingservice.com! The hilarious website features bios for Sam Puckett and Cat Valentine, two of the best babysitters in the business, testimonials from some of their most satisfied clients, and a online streaming video of their commercial.*

* The website was set up by Nickelodeon and Dan Schneider for the recent brand new "Sam & Cat" episode "#BabysittingCommercial".

Nick or Treat!: Still deciding on your Halloween costume? Look no further! Nickelodeon Italy (Italia) has unveiled a exclusive photo gallery which features pictures of popular Nickelodeon stars in their best spook-tacular costumes, which is full of Halloween costume inspiration!

Shredder Speaks!:The Hollywood News has unveiled a short interview they recently held with the American actor William Fichtner ("The Lone Ranger", "Drive Angry", "The Perfect Storm", "Prison Break", "Armageddon", "Grand Theft Auto", about Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies' upcoming "Ninja Turtles" movie. In the interview, William Fichtner, who will be playing Eric Sachs, also known as Shredder, in the film, talks about how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will look. William Fichtner also confirms that Shredder's bumbling mutant henchmen B-Bop and Rocksteady are not in the movie.

Heffron Drive Tour!:The Huffington Post Teen is reporting that Nickelodeon and "Big Time Rush" star Kendall Schmidt is taking his band Heffron Drive on the road for a tour of the USA, and he says he "couldn't be more stoked."! Schmidt and Dustin Belt will kick off their tour in Houston on Saturday 23rd November 2013 and play a series of dates throughout November and December around the country. Kendall promises surprises for fans at each and every show. News via Nickutopia.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Nickelodeon Star Ana Mulvoy-Ten, who portrays the character 'Amber Millington' on the hit Nickelodeon original mystery drama series "House of Anubis", recently attended a private viewing of a brand new photo gallery exhibition called Submerged by photographer Tyler Shields at Imitate Modern in London, UK! The article includes a photo of Ana Mulvoy-Ten with Tyler Shields at the event.

The Huffington Post is reporting that The National Toy Hall of Fame has narrowed the nominees for its class of 2013. This year's finalists are: Bubbles, chess, the board game Clue, Fisher-Price Little People, little green Army men, the Magic 8 Ball, My Little Pony, Nerf toys, the Pac-Man video game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the scooter and the rubber duck. The museum announced the 12 finalists Tuesday, two of which will be enshrined alongside Barbie, the hula hoop, Lionel trains and dozens of other famous playthings next month. A national selection committee will vote on which two will follow last year's winners, dominoes and "Star Wars" action figures, into the 15-year-old hall, located inside The Strong museum in Rochester. Anyone can nominate a toy for induction. A museum committee of curators, educators and historians chooses the finalists based on a toy's longevity, innovation, and other attributes. Each toy must be widely recognized; foster learning, creativity or discovery through play; and endure in popularity over generations, according to the hall. This year's nominees trace their origins across centuries, from chess, which evolved in England during the 15th century, to the rubber ducky, which appeared in the 1800s, to Pac-Man and My Little Pony, which appeared in the 1980s. A Chicago company called Chemtoy sold the first soap bubble solution in the 1940s, though paintings of children playing with bubbles appeared in the country of Flanders in the 17th century, hall officials said. Some of the nominees have made the finals before, including plastic green Army men, Clue and the Magic 8 Ball. Thousands of suggestions come in every year. Previous winners range from classics, like Play-Doh and Slinky, to the less obvious, like the stick and cardboard box. This year's winners will be announced at an induction ceremony Nov. 7. Which toys will make it into the hallowed halls of toydom this November? Take the poll here on toyhalloffame.org!

Ninja Pizza is reporting that Nickelodeon has recently launched a new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Fan Club website at tmntfanclub.com to replace their "Turtles vs. Foot" website. Fans who sign up have the opportunity to enter contests to win prizes by sharing TMNT posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Currently, fans can enter to win Bebop and Rocksteady production action figures, a signed Nickelodeon season 2 script, and an Xbox 360.

ToyNews is reporting that Smyths Toys Superstores has launched its first marketing campaign in its partnership with creative partner TWBA Manchester. Running on prime-time TV in the UK and Ireland, the new broadcast campaign follows a group of the latest toys on the market as they make their way from a Smyths store to the door of a young child. The advert features toy ranges from popular brands such as Nickelodeon, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Dora the Explorer", Mattel, LEGO, Hasbro, Flair, and Disney, and depicts their journey across the UK. The campaign includes brand and tactical executions, sponsorship idents for ITV's "You've Been Framed" and "Big Star's Little Star" along with press, outdoor, radio and point of sale materials. A 60-second version of the ad also ran during "The X Factor" on September 28th September 2013. You can also read the full press release here on PRWeb and watch the full TV advert here on YouTube.

Ariana Grande on Family Guy!: Nickelodeon Star Ariana Grande has announced the news in twoTweets on her official Twitter profile page (@ArianaGrande) on Friday 27th September 2013 that she has recorded a line of dialogue for a upcoming brand new episode of Seth MacFarlane's hit animated FOX series "Family Guy"! It is currently unknown whether she will be voicing a cartoon version of herself to guest star on the show or a new character, and what the episode will be about. This isn't the first time Ariana has recorded her voice for a animated show - Ariana provides the voice of villain Princess Diaspro in Nickelodeon's "Winx Club" and Cat Valentine in "The Lil' Sam & Cat Show", the animated companion series to her hit Nick sitcom, "Sam & Cat".

Meanwhile, Ariana Grande is also busy getting into the festive spirit! Ariana posted on Twitter on 26th September 2013 that recently recorded the first of a series of Christmas songs for Christmas 2013! Plus, in celebration of her gaining ten million (10,000,000) Twitter followers, she will be releasing her hit song Pink Champagne as a single!

They agree on free: US and UK kids’ app choices: iKids is reporting that American kids and their counterparts across the pond in the UK are showing the same predilection for free educational iPad apps, but when it comes to dishing out dollars and pounds for paid apps their tastes seemingly differ. That's according to up-to-the-minute stats from data aggregator App Annie, which shows how mobile games are performing on varying platforms and in different countries. The data reveals that the top three free iPad apps in the UK and the US are mirrored, and while the number one paid educational iPad app (Toca Cars) is the same in both countries, the rest of the lists are impacted by respective localized children's properties. (Toca Cars, for its part, has been the top paid educational iPad app across Australia, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Sweden, Russia and Singapore.) And with research firm Gartner today predicting that the total number of app downloads in 2013 will surpass 100 billion, and free apps will account for a whopping 91% of these downloads, it's never been more important to focus on this segment. Among the most popular paid apps amongst preschoolers in the USA are Nickelodeon Preschool's "Dora's Great Big World HD" and "Dora Appisode: Perrito’s Big Surprise HD" apps!

iKids is reporting that, with children in the UK clocking more than 23 million hours of TV every day, and roughly 10% of British three-to-four-year-olds using a tablet at home, it's not surprising that television and digital media execs would start to think out of the box and about the screen. Among them are former Nickelodeon UK MD Howard Litton and Skype/LoveFilm advisor Peter Read, who are backing Hopster, a brand new kids on-demand TV channel embodied in a single app that delivers preschool shows and games to touchscreen devices. The Netflix-like subscription-based service founded by former Viacom executive Nick Walters will launch in the UK App Store in November 2013 with episodes of licensed content and interactive learning games that are automatically customized based on the TV shows that kids are watching. As part of the service, Hopster will stream a range of classic Nickelodeon, Nick UK and Nick Jr. UK preschool series, including "Babar", "Little Bear", "Max & Ruby" and "Maggie & The Ferocious Beast" from Nelvana, "SuperWhy" and "Paddington Bear" from DHX Media and "Pablo the Little Red Fox" and "Louie" from Millimages. The ad-free channel will also feature the children's shows "Babar and the Adventures of Badou" (Nelvana); "Madeline" and "Monster Math Squad" (DHX Media); and "64 Zoo Lane" (Millimages). The non-exclusive licensing deals already inked are nearing 800 episodes, with more to be announced in the coming months. "Everyone's trying to figure out what the future of TV-watching for kids looks like. For us, it’s touchscreen devices,” says Walters, former GM of Nickelodeon Russia. Digital TV Europe is reporting that Hospter's management includes Sander Striker from Vdio, Joost and Apache, Mahesh Ramachandra who has worked for Galleon Entertainment, Cellcast and Event Check-in and Bradley Archer, a former Nickelodeon executive like Walters. The Hopster advisory board includes Howard Litton, former MD of Nickelodeon UK, investor Peter Read, Bhavneet Singh, president and CEO of Pearson English and Tony Orsten of twofour54 and Paramount Pictures. You can read the full news here on Kidscreen.com, plus read more about the news story at DigitalTVEurope.net, TechCrunch.com, Babble.com, and FastCompany.com.

Now Magazine is reporting that, while most kids would be impressed if their dad was "X-Men" superhero Wolverine, not Hugh Jackman's son! Oscar, 13, prefers to think of his famous father as a professional belcher. "My son was like, "You're really nothing like Wolverine. I used to think you were like him, but you just look like him, that's all" - which is pretty true," says Hugh, 44. "He was more impressed when he thought I was a burping champion. When he was younger, I won the Nickelodeon burping competition [at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2004] and he saw it." "So for a while he thought that was all I did." Hugh - who is a doting dad to adopted children Oscar and Ava, 8, with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 57 - doesn't think his son will follow in his acting footsteps. "All the kids at school were asked what they want to be when they grow up," the Aussie star tells Notebook. "Oscar was like, "I want to be a Pharoah!" I was like, "Excellent. We need one in the family!""

Variety is reporting that DreamWorks Animation has acquired the library of U.K.-based children's television company Chapman Entertainment in an expansion of its TV portfolio which will now feature the popular preschool television series "Little Charley Bear", "Raa Raa the Noisy Lion", and Nick Jr. UK's "Fifi and the Flowertots" and "Roary the Racing Car". DWA's Chapman acquisition follows its purchase in July of 2012 of New York-based Classic Media, which includes properties such as "Archie”, "Fat Albert", "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and "The Lone Ranger" and is expected to account for about $50 million of DWA's 2013 TV revenue. The move also follows the appointment in July 2013 of veteran Nickelodeon executive Marjorie Cohn to serve as its first head of television to run its new television group which is a significant growth area for the cartoon studio. As for the newly acquired Chapman series, "Little Charley Bear" has been sold into roughly 100 countries, including the UK, where it airs on CBeebies, which also holds the license to "Raa Raa the Noisy Lion". Meanwhile, "Fifi and the Flowertots" has broadcast deals in more than 200 countries and "Roary the Racing Car" airs in 100 countries and is seen on Milkshake in the UK. Chapman Entertainment was formed in 2002 by Keith Chapman, the originator of "Bob the Builder". It entered administration in November 2012. (Additional information from Kidscreen and Licensing.biz.)

Kidscreen is reporting the news that the Waheed Alli's London-based independent production studio Silvergate Media, a co-producer of Nickelodeon USA's new CG-animated "Peter Rabbit" and Cbeebies' "Octonauts" preschool series, has launched its own dedicated TV distribution arm to be headed up by former France Télévisions and Chorion exec Geraint Marsh. As SVP of global TV distribution & consumer products (Americas & France), Marsh will be responsible for the global exploitation of rights across television and digital media, and consumer products in the Americas and France for Silvergate's key brands. Marsh was most recently EVP of television and consumer products at France Télévisions Distribution and previously SVP of television sales at Chorion. He held various roles in publishing and TV distribution earlier in his career. The new "Peter Rabbit" airs in the U.S. (Nickelodeon), U.K. (BBC's CBeebies), France and Australia (ABC TV), with a launch in Germany coming later this year (2013). Silvergate holds worldwide licensing and merchandising rights for the Classic Peter Rabbit property and holds all worldwide audiovisual, licensing and merchandising rights for the new CGI "Peter Rabbit", excluding the Americas and India which are controlled by Nickelodeon. Penguin is supporting the animation with a full publishing program. Silvergate also holds all audiovisual and worldwide licensing and merchandising rights to "Octonauts", a preschool series based on books by the award-winning design team Meomi, and features the adventures of a team of underwater explorers. You can read more about this news story here on The Hollywood Reporter and Broadcast.

The GD Entertainment Fund, a Luxembourg-based boutique investment fund, has signed on to co-finance a range of Imira Entertainment shows, reports Licensing.biz. The deal completes the funding for animated titles "Lucky Fred" and "Bat Pat", both of which will now enter production. "Lucky Fred" is an original Imira Entertainment animated co-production with Televisió de Catalunya and Rai Fiction that is currently shown in the LatAm region on Nickelodeon Latin America and Nickelodeon Brazil (Brasil). The animated series is about a young boy named Fred and Friday, his shape-shifting robot.

To celebrate Tia Mowry-Hardrict's brand new original Nick at Nite comedy series, "Instant Mom", The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled a exclusive interview with Tia Mowry-Hardrict, in which she talks about the shows unique take on motherhood, how the show fills a TV void, how she got involved with "Instant Mom", what it's like also being a producer on the show, if there are any plans for her sister, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and/or brother, Tahj Dayton Mowry from ABC Family's "Baby Daddy", to guest star on "Instant Mom", how the show features a entirely African-American cast, and about her reality show, "Tia & Tamera".

Kidscreen is reporting that Entertainment One Family (eOne Family) has made a round of new broadcast deals across Central Eastern Europe and other European markets for a raft of their children's properties including "Peppa Pig" and new brand "Simon's Cat". MTVA in Hungary has picked up a selection of shows that will launch on the channel for the first time this year. Acquisitions include the first two seasons of "Peppa Pig" and "Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom", CGI-animated farmyard series "Tractor Tom", a live action series, "Mist", which follows the rural adventures of a young sheepdog, and short film "Lost and Found". In Ukraine, FTA kids channel Inter 1+1 will debut all six seasons of "Peppa Pig", the first two seasons of "Tractor Tom", preschool show "Rob the Robot" and "Lost and Found". Meanwhile, Chello Central Europe has licensed the broadcast rights to "Lost and Found" and has also renewed "Pat and Stan" shorts for its pan regional Minimax and Megamax channels across several territories in Central Eastern Europe including Hungary, Romanian Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Croatia. Chello is also the first in the region to acquire animation shorts of eOne's new property "Simon’s Cat", which will be aired in several of the same countries. Rounding out these sales are new and returning broadcast deals for "Peppa Pig" and "Lost and Found" across Europe. In Scandinavia, NRK in Norway has taken series three and four of "Peppa Pig" and YLE in Finland has licensed TV rights for "Lost and Found". Star Channel in Greece will air series three of "Peppa Pig" this fall, Capital TV in Cyprus has picked up series one and two of "Peppa Pig" and Noga Communications in Israel has acquired "Lost and Found".

The free-to-air (FTA) broadcaster Televisa has acquired the broadcast and consumer products licensing rights to eOne Family and Nick Jr. UK's hit preschool property "Peppa Pig" for Mexico, reports Kidscreen. Televisa will begin airing episodes throughout Mexico by the end of 2013. And in conjunction with the broadcast launch, the company will be developing a full L&M campaign for the property. Consumer products and promotions for "Peppa Pig" are likely to debut in Mexico in 2014, with a soft launch starting in Q3 and a full product launch hitting Mexican retail in Q4 2014. eOne has also partnered with Exim Licensing Group to develop a major consumer products program for the IP in South America, where "Peppa Pig" will air on Discovery Kids Latin America. The firm will look to develop toys, publishing and home entertainment categories throughout the region. The first line of products is slated to launch at retail in 2014 in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador.

Meanwhile, Kidscreen is also reporting that Entertainment One Family (eOne Family) has also made a round of new broadcast deals across Central Eastern Europe and other European markets for its children's properties including "Peppa Pig" and new brand "Simon's Cat". MTVA in Hungary has picked up a selection of shows that will launch on the channel for the first time this year (2013). Acquisitions include the first two seasons of "Peppa Pig" and "Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom", CGI-animated farmyard series "Tractor Tom", a live action series, "Mist", which follows the rural adventures of a young sheepdog, and short film "Lost and Found". In Ukraine, FTA kids channel Inter 1+1 will debut all six seasons of "Peppa Pig", the first two seasons of "Tractor Tom", preschool show "Rob the Robot" and "Lost and Found". Meanwhile, Chello Central Europe has licensed the broadcast rights to "Lost and Found" and has also renewed "Pat and Stan" shorts for its pan regional Minimax and Megamax channels across several territories in Central Eastern Europe including Hungary, Romanian Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Croatia. Chello is also the first in the region to acquire animation shorts of eOne's new property "Simon's Cat", which will be aired in several of the same countries. Rounding out these sales are new and returning broadcast deals for "Peppa Pig" and "Lost and Found" across Europe. In Scandinavia, NRK in Norway has taken series three and four of "Peppa Pig" and YLE in Finland has licensed TV rights for "Lost and Found". Star Channel in Greece will air series three of "Peppa Pig" this fall/autumn, Capital TV in Cyprus has picked up series one and two of "Peppa Pig" and Noga Communications in Israel has acquired "Lost and Found". More on licensing.biz.

SLIMEFEST 2013 - The Soundtrack!: Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand has released the SLIMEFEST 2013 compilation CD! Out now, it features music from Big Time Rush, Guy Sebastian, Samantha Jade, Justice Crew, One Direction, Justin Bieber and much more! Buy your copy online today at sanity.com.au!

In a exclusive interview with GlobalGrind.com, Nickelodeon Star Benjamin "Lil P-Nut" Flores Jr. freestyles & talks Drake, turning 11, and his new Nick comedy series "The Haunted Hathaways", in which he plays Louie Preston. The article also includes a exclusive video!

Classic Nickelodeon Star Melissa Joan Hart ("Clarissa Explains It All", "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch") will be releasing a brand new tell-all book called "Melissa Explains It All", in which she reveals just what she got up to after "Clarissa" and "Sabrina", and it's guaranteed to make your jaw hit the floor faster than a witty retort from talking cat Salem Saberhagen, reports The Mirror.

Melissa Joan Hart also recently celebrated her son Tucker turning one with family trip to DisneyLand! The 37-year-old television star rode the attractions with husband Mark Wilkerson and her older sons Mason and Brady at the theme park in Anaheim, California. Tucker clearly enjoyed his best birthday ever as he smiled while tucked between his parents on the adventurous "Alice In Wonderland" ride in Fantasyland. You can see a selection of photographs of Melissa Joan Hart and her family visiting DisneyLand in California, USA, here on the official Daily Mail website! Happy Birthday, Tucker!

The Huffington Post is reporting that the American actress Alexa Vega has explained why she thinks her fiancé, Nickelodeon Star and Big Time Rush singer Carlos Pena, Jr., is the one.

The popular film and television actor and political enthusiast, Sean Astin, who can currently be heard as the voice of 'Raphael' in the hit Nickelodeon "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" TV series, has announced in a press release has just launched a crowd funding effort to raise $30,000 from Kickstarter to take his "Vox Populi" online political radio show to the next level. With the government shut down, average people are looking at elected officials and wondering why they aren't communicating. Astin's show is an example of how that can be effectively done. The weekly show (Broadcast on the Toad­-Hop Network) brilliantly matches guests with opposing viewpoints. The premise of the show is to use civil discourse to explore often hot button topics. Sean expertly interviews notable subjects while effortlessly guiding the broader conversation, creating a unique model for political talk radio. Currently he has completed thirty-five 2 hour shows with 12,000-15,000 loyal listeners each week. The KickStarter, once funded, will help create a more fully produced listening and viewing experience, continuing the important conversations which cover politics, government and world events. The fundraising will take place between October 1, 2013 through October 30, 2013. Astin's Kickstarter fund can be found here at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1537018232/vox-populi-voice-of-the-occasionally-interested-pe. Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as 'Samwise Gamgee' in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, 'Mikey Walsh' in "The Goonies," and the title character of "Rudy." In television, he appeared as 'Lynn McGill' in the fifth season of "24" and currently voices 'Raphael' in the Nickelodeon "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" TV series. Astin is currently in production for the much anticipated series "The Strain" for FX based on Guillermo del Toro's Novel Series.

Licensing.biz is reporting that Big Tent Entertainment has struck two new deals, launching "Domo" into games and puzzles and vinyl cases. Big Tent Entertainment is expanding its Domo portfolio with new deals introducing the character to vinyl skins and games and puzzles. In a deal with SkinIt, Domo will feature on stylish and protective vinyl skins for smart phones, tablets, gaming devices, laptops and more. Meanwhile, Magnote is launching a series of branded puzzles and games including sticky notes, magnetic desk puzzles, Gigo blocks and Manga tracing templates. Mascot of the Japanese public broadcaster, NHK, Domo has become one of the Internet's most popular sensations finding its home as a pop culture icon within the online viral community, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Domo also had a short-form Nickelodeon TV with Nicktoons in North America and Nickelodeon Worldwide that launched in 2007.

Kent Online is reporting that the American actor, model, director and professional athlete Kurt Yaeger, who had a role in Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Communications' "Maximum Rocket Power Live: The Battle for Madtown Park", a live-action extreme-sports dramatic arena play based on Nickelodeon's popular Nicktoon "Rocket Power" that briefly toured the U.S. Midwest in spring 2002, recently made a VIP appearance at The Gathering Deal, a show of skills on wheels which was held at Deal Skate Park in Kent, UK by Tides, that showcased skateboards, inliners, scooters and a featured a BMX show of skills. Kurt's visit to Deal is part of a tour of the United Kingdom to promote himself, his sponsors and other UK business interested in supporting his causes for this tour. The trip will be documented by a professional film producer and edited into a multi- part series. The series will be featured on xgames.com, espn.com, multiple BMX outlets, and YouTube. The musical line-up included Craig Sheridan, Nicola Jane, The Black Mirrors, Suburban Radio and Crashgate. There was also TV coverage for Kurt's five part TV series and a after party at the Astor Theatre.

The News & Star, via the North-West Evening Mail, is reporting that a delegation of officials are heading to Japan next month to spend five days on a trade mission, with more than 50 office trips and meeting 100 contacts. They are on a mission to sell the Lake District as the ideal holiday destination, meeting scores of people involved in the Japanese travel trade. The delegation from the Lake District Japan Forum will be visiting Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo between October 21 and 25. The Lake District has become a firm favourite with Japanese tourists due to its Beatrix Potter links, but lost out last year to the Olympics. Colin Fox, chairman of the Japan Forum and group marketing manager with English Lakes, said they had a “fantastic relationship” with the Japanese travel trade. “We continue to see impressive numbers of guests from the country,” he said. “By going out to speak direct and update the right people, the Lake District has become a number one destination outside of London in the UK and we aim to help this continue for many years to come.” Angela Metcalfe, commercial manager for Cumbria Tourism, said the Lake District was the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the county’s £2bn tourism industry. “We are so pleased that Cumbria Tourism and the Japan Forum have this opportunity to update the Japanese travel trade about new developments in the county and the chance to provide people with more information about the area,” she said. “The kosuichihou.com website is one way anyone interested in the Japanese business can get some exposure to the market and we will highlight the benefits of this excellent translated site during the visit.” The trip follows the recent launch of Nickelodeon's all new "Peter Rabbit" animations, set against a backdrop of Lake District locations. Tourism bosses said the new CG-animated series is now being broadcast around the world via NickJr and via CBeebies in the UK and it was ‘inevitable’ they would create a fresh wave of enthusiasm for visitors to the Lakes. The delegation includes representatives from The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, Dove Cottage, Windermere Lake Cruises, The National Trust and English Lakes Hotels Resorts and Venues.

Dell has announced in a press release, via 4-Traders,, that the multi award-winning, London-based animation production company Blue Zoo has implemented a robust Dell infrastructure to support development of the highly successful children's book Q Pootle 5 into an animated TV series to be broadcast internationally, as well as enable the studio's expansion into film. With an animation portfolio including "Olive the Ostrich" for Nickelodeon UK and Nick Jr. UK and "Tree Fu Tom" for the BBC, Blue Zoo has experience working with some of Europe's largest broadcasters. However, upon winning the Q Pootle 5 contract for Snapper Films, Blue Zoo needed to increase its render farm architecture and workstation capacity, and fast. Blue Zoo turned to Dell to deliver a robust, reliable technology infrastructure with scale and stability, allowing the team to work faster and better, while saving money. The solution included powerful and reliable workstations to be used by animators as well as high performance servers to drive the software. The Dell Precision T1650 workstations were rolled out across the Blue Zoo design, animation and editing teams, replacing the legacy HP Z series. These Dell workstations ensured that those working on intensive projects had access to quiet yet powerful processors, delivering optimum performance and minimal distraction. Office space was also maximised due to the small form-factor of the machines - essential at a time of team expansion and soaring London office rental costs. Improved switching with Dell Networking has helped boost data throughout the network and provided high speed access to images for high-definition editing which has led to faster completion of projects, often beating exceptionally tight deadlines. Additionally, Dell PowerEdge C servers double the render-farm power without increasing server footprint or energy consumption. To provide peace of mind and protect against any delays, overall infrastructure performance is maintained by a range of Dell Services, including Dell ProSupport Mission Critical with four-hour on-site support. The deployment shows how integrated technology solutions are helping creative businesses develop and grow. With the Dell Precision workstations and render farm, Blue Zoo is now on schedule to complete its latest TV series and is planning to expand into film as a result of its improved animation capabilities.

The Mirror is reporting that the talented pianist Curtis Elton, who was nominated for Nickelodeon's Fruit Shoot Skills Awards 2012's "Rising Music Star" Skillie Award, which celebrates the slickest young musicians out there ready and waiting to rock out in front of thousands of fans on stage, has become the youngest person in the world to receive a degree-equivalent diploma, called a ATCL diploma, which is equivalent to a first-year degree, for his piano playing skills! Congratulations, Curtis Elton!!

IGN has also unveiled a exclusive interview they held with Nickelodeon Voice Actress Janet Varney, who voices 'Korra' in "The Legend of Korra". The interview was conduced in the Nickelodeon dining area to discuss Korra's long-awaited return, where the character is at as we meet up with her again, new additions to the cast this year and more, just after Varney and Dee Bradley Baker were recording pickups – adding new lines or giving different takes to scenes that had already been animated and now needed some tweaks from what was done at the original voice session many months before ("Korra" episodes are recorded in their entirety by the voice cast before they are animated) - under the direction of animation legend Andrea Romano.

Nick2Go:TBI Vision and Broadband TV News are reporting that the Swedish cable operator Com Hem has added Nickelodeon Sweden (Sverige) to its TiVoToGo service. The service makes content available to subscribers across television, computer, mobile phones and tablet devices.

Licensing.biz is reporting that a raft of new products are rolling out for classic property "Miffy", as fans get ready to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2015. Simon and Schuster Children's Books will be updating the English translation of the "Miffy" stories - written and illustrated by Dutch graphic artist, Dick Bruna - to appeal to a modern British audience. The classic stories will be refreshed, while there will also be new novelty formats. In addition, a range of greetings cards has been launched by Hype, while Star Editions will be rolling out a line of posters, postcards, magnets and tote bags for spring. Long-term partner Rainbow Designs continues to see steady sales of its nursery plush collection, while new licensee Neviti has launched a range of party ware. Mothercare is also due to launch a range of layette items, including bodysuits and sleep suits, through baby wear partner Brecrest. DRi will also be announcing an adult fashion partner soon, which will be targeting High Street and fashion retailers. "This is a new chapter in the Miffy story and we have big plans for the brand over the next few years," said Alicia Davenport, director of DRi Licensing. The brand new "Miffy" merchandise range will also including a line of "Miffy" branded greeting cards. The animated series "Miffy and Friends" formally aired on Nick Jr. USA.

C21Media is reporting that the German broadcaster Super RTL has picked up the broadcast rights to the popular CG-animated preschool series "Peter Rabbit". A co-production between Irish studio Brown Bag Films, Penguin Books and Silvergate Media the show was commissioned by Nickelodeon in the US and the UK preschool channel CBeebies.

C21Media is also reporting that a raft of free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters in Asia and Europe have picked up the broadcast rights to Zodiak Kids' popular CGI-animated preschool series "Tickety Toc". The 52x11′ series has been picked up by PBS in Thailand, Mediacorp in Singapore, Four NZ in New Zealand, Pixel in Ukraine, MTV in Hungary and Ultra/Ultra Mini in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. A second season of the toon, which follows the madcap exploits of a pair of twins and their friends as they race to keep a clock chiming in time, is currently in development for global broadcast partner Nickelodeon. The toon is produced by Korea's FunnyFlux Entertainment alongside Zodiak-owned UK kids' prodco The Foundation. As well as Nick Jr channels around the world, "Tickety Toc" also airs on Channel 5 in the UK, Disney Junior in Canada and Network 11 in Australia, among others.

Licensing.biz is reporting that Canadian Phase 4 film label Kaboom! Entertainment has signed an agreement with Target for dedicated retail space across all of Canada's 125 Target stores for its Treehouse Presents DVD releases. The exclusive space will feature Treehouse branding and Treehouse Presents DVD releases. The space launches on November 5th and will run for a year with Kaboom! also providing custom Movie Night packaging for the retailer. The first line to feature the exclusive Movie Night packaging will include "Octonauts", "My Big Big Friend", "Toopy & Binoo", "Chuggington", "The Berenstain Bears" and Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. USA's "Franklin & Friends". Kaboom will also create downloadable activities, recipes and games to accompany each release.

Halloween Style!:MTV Style is reporting that Nick Star Ariana Grande recently held a Halloween costume contest On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'! A ton of her loyal followers showed up for the taping, but only three were chosen to compete for the chance to meet the Nick celebrity: The clown, the cat and the chicken. The three contestants participated in a series of mini-games that included break-dancing, trivia and karaoke, which are definitely some of the most hardest things you can do in a costume on live television. Especially when you're up against Ariana Grande. Yup, the clown and the cat got a surprise in the singing part of the competition, as it was revealed that the chicken, who showed off her falsetto skills during a verse of Grande's single, "Right There," was actually Ariana herself. Surprise! Everybody wins! The article includes a video of the competition.

Where Are They Now? The Cast of Saved by the Bell: To celebrate Elizabeth Berkley hosting a tribute to "Saved by the Bell" recently on "Dancing with the Stars", based on the British TV series "Strictly Come Dancing", Digital Spy has unveiled a special article which reveals what the cast of the hit comedy series - Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris), Mario Lopez (AC Slater), Dustin Diamond (Samuel "Screech" Powers), Lark Voorhies (Lisa Turtle), Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie Spano), Tiffani Thiessen (Kelly Kapowski), and Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding)! Nickelodeon UK aired Saved by the Bell in the 2000's.

Nickelodeon Alumni News

Albie Hecht, the founder of Spike TV and former president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, has been named executive vice president (EVP) and general manager (GM) of HLN, reports The Wrap. Hecht begun his new job on Monday 30th September 2013. Hecht, who has also served as the CEO of Worldwide Biggies ("The Naked Brothers Band"), a digital entertainment studio, will begin the job Sept. 30. He will oversee all aspects of HLN's programming, management, and day-to-day operations, as well as HLNtv.com. He will be based in New York and report to CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker. Hecht led the transition and rebranding of the former Nashville Network to Spike TV. As creator and president of Spike, he signed the "Ultimate Fighting Championship". As president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, he oversaw the development of "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Dora the Explorer", "Blue's Clues", the live action show "All That", and Nickelodeon Movies "The Rugrats Movie", "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius", which received an Oscar nomination. He also co-created Nickelodeon's "Kids Choice Awards" and "Nickelodeon GUTS" (with Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert as the founding principal and executive producer with Chauncey Street Productions (originally a division of Goodman's and Seibert's Fred/Alan in New York)). He has also worked on documentary and nonfiction projects through his non-profit Shine Global, including the Academy Awardpwinning short documentary "Inocente" as well as "War/Dance" which was nominated for an Academy Award and won an Emmy for Best Documentary. This year, he became founding director of the New Media Lab at CUNY's Macauley Honors College. On Wednesday 25th September 2013, Albie Hecht was inducted into the CableFAX 2013 Program Hall of Fame.

C21Media is reporting that US producer @Radical Media's former head of media and entertainment Robert Friedman is launching his own production outfit. Bungalow Media and Entertainment will develop, produce and distribute unscripted, scripted and branded content across television, film and digital platforms. The company already has projects in development including a documentary with Alex Gibney and a coproduction of two unscripted series with Back Roads Entertainment. It is also coproducing a Spanish-language longform comedy special with famed stand-up comedian Luis Raul, with NBTV. Bungalow's West Coast operations will be led by another veteran producer, Todd Hoffman, whose Storied Media Group will become a partner in the venture. Hoffman will continue to represent franchises including The New York Times and 60 Minutes and a talent roster that includes Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. Prior to his time at Under African Skies producer @Radical, Friedman was president of Classic Media when it was acquired by DreamWorks Animation. He has also worked stints as head of corporate marketing for Time Warner and president of AOL Interactive Marketing and TV. He was also a member of the original development team at MTV Networks, working on MTV, VH-1, Nickelodeon and The Movie Channel. Bungalow investors include Jeff Sagansky, who sits on its board, and private equity firm Loeb Partners.

The British family and parenting website Parentdish UK has unveiled a exclusive interview with former Nickelodeon UK General Manager (GM) Paul Lindley, the founder of the popular "Ella's Kitchen" children's food brand. As part of the interview, Parentdish asks, what would he cook for the Queen? Find out here at parentdish.co.uk!

ScreenDaily.com is reporting that the Los Angeles-based boutique sales agency Continental Media, which was founded by James Andrew Felts and Matthew Shreder, has licensed the horror film "Solo", which stars Annie Clark, who played Fiona Coyne in TeenNick's "Degrassi: The Next Generation", to UK-based distributor Kaleidoscope Entertainment. The movie will be released at cinemas in the UK during 2014.

The Licensing Letter (TLL), an independent trade publication which delivers retail sales data, news of deals, contact information, and trend analysis to owners of intellectual property, their agents, retailers, and the manufacturers who market licensed merchandise, has announced in a press release that they expect to see Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" toy line on the next list covering 2013 retail sales.

From The Archives...

Below is a article which features a autobiography of Nickelodeon and House of Anubis star Brad Kavanagh, which The White Haven News first published in July 2012, from the News & Star:

MY LIFE AND CAREER, BY YOUNG STAR BRAD KAVANAGH

Brad Kavanagh: ‘I’d like to do more in America, and I’ve got agents in London and Los Angeles working together to hopefully make that happen. But what I also like to do something at home. I am always thinking about Whitehaven whenever I’m away, and I’d love to set up an academy here to create opportunities for local kids to perform and hopefully help some local talent get a big break’

HE'S performed in front of the Queen and Michael Jackson, been nominated for awards alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Matt Smith and Robert Pattinson, and he’s even enjoyed Sunday lunch at Sir Elton John’s home. Not bad for a lad from Cleator Moor.

red [Orange] carpet: Brad with co-star Ana Mulvoy Ten from House of Anubis

Brad Kavanagh has crammed a lifetime’s worth of memorable experiences into his 19 years; rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A-listers, attending glitzy LA award ceremonies, and entertaining millions around the world on stage and screen.

bafta nominated: Brad Kavanagh with the cast at the children’s Baftas (he was nominated for a Bafta in 2010 for Best Breakthrough Talent)

And speaking to The Whitehaven News during a rare break in his filming schedule for his current project – Nickelodeon’s House of Anubis – Brad would describe his journey from Whitehaven Theatre of Youth to becoming a children’s television favourite, via a starring role in Billy Elliot on London’s West End stage, as “a bit of a mad one”.

“If you told me when I was growing up that all this would have happened to me, then there’s no way I would have believed it,” says Brad.

“There’s been so many times I’ve had to pinch myself; I’ve been so lucky. But it’s been cool at the same time.”

Originally from Cleator Moor, Brad and his family moved to Whitehaven when he was young. He would sing to himself around the house which prompted his mum to take him to singing lessons.

“I went to local teacher Mandy Norman when I was six, and she taught me all my singing basics, as well as verse-speaking, pacing, elocution.

“I was also given extra lessons by Baxter Shaw, who was a vocal genius. He gave me my passion.”

Brad competed in music festivals at Whitehaven, Workington and Carlisle from an early age, and having joined Whitehaven Theatre of Youth, he was given his first starring role in a production of Joseph at St James’ Church.

“I loved it all; singing, acting, performing. It was all I wanted to do.”

A life-changing opportunity arose for Brad when, aged only 10, he responded to a call for auditions for a new musical that was in the pipeline based on the smash hit 2000 film, Billy Elliot.

“The auditions were in Newcastle and I thought I would just go for the experience. It was the first time I had ever auditioned, so there’s no way I thought I’d get anywhere.”

He was wrong. The producers from Working Title were impressed with Brad and shortlisted him for the part of Michael, Billy’s quirky best mate.

The shortlisted kids were given six months to prepare for the final auditions and Brad, who admits to having “two left feet”, used the time to take dance classes in Penrith, alongside weekly acting and singing lessons in Leeds.

The gruelling schedule culminated in a weekend-long final audition in London.

“It was a crazy audition; we were put through some really tough routines.

“Michael, the character I was going for, is a bit of an oddball so we had to bring our own interpretations to the part. In one example, we were given a phonebook and told to do something creative with it; some jumped up and down on it, and others ran around, so I just started to go mad and tear pages from it and I threw them around the place.

“I thought it was a bit of a fluke that I had made it so far as the final audition, so I just went for it!”

After an agonising two-month wait, the casting director called Brad and offered him the role. So it was off to London, aged only 11, to begin the six-month rehearsal programme ahead of opening night.

“The young cast lived together in a house a Spitalfield, near Whitechapel, under the care of two housemothers,” says Brad. “There were nine of us – three Billys, three Michaels and three Debbies – as we’d work on rotation as there was a limit on how often we could work due to our ages.

“It was scary moving away from home at such a young age, but it made me grow up really quickly and gave me independence that others perhaps don’t get until they’re a lot older. It was a real learning curve.

“It was hard not having my mam and brother there, but I did come home during my days off.

“In rehearsals, because it was a brand new show, we had to build the show from the ground up. In that sense, you could make the part your own and bring your own character to it.

“It was good fun and you were able to improvise lines that ended up in the script. I recently saw the show to mark its seventh anniversary and it’s a great feeling to see that lines that I improvised all those years ago are still in the show today and are being performed by other young actors.”

After two months of preview shows to iron out any last-minute problems, opening night came on May 11, 2005, and Brad was chosen from the three Michaels to be in the first show at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

“It was the coolest thing ever,” recalls Brad. “There was a big red carpet and loads of celebrities came. But being backstage, you didn’t realise the impact until you saw the newspapers the following day and it was on all the front pages.”

The day after opening night, the young cast were invited for Sunday lunch to the home of Sir Elton John, who had written the music for the show.

“He was the most generous person I have ever met. He’s such a big star but didn’t act like it at all. He was so humble and wanted to thank us for bringing his music to life.”

But Sir Elton wasn’t the only famous face Brad encountered during his West End days.

“The Queen and Michael Jackson both came and saw the show, and Michael sent a note of congratulations to us backstage. But a lot of people actually came backstage to meet us, people like Matt Damon, Liz Hurley, McFly, Rolf Harris; it was all so surreal.

“One night, I saw Matt Lucas and David Walliams in the front row, and as part of the script I had to do the ‘I’m a ladiiieee’ line from Little Britain, and that night I had to say it in front of David Walliams himself. Bizarre!”

But it wasn’t all mixing with the stars. It was a gruelling schedule, admits Brad, with late nights and early mornings, school tuition in the shared house during the day, occasional rehearsals, and then performances eight times a week.

When Brad turned 14, after three-and-a-half years in the show, he felt that time had come to leave.

“They refreshed the cast every six months so you had to give six months’ notice that you wanted to leave so they could get a replacement trained up.

“My voice had dropped, so it was becoming harder and harder to sing in such a high key. Plus my GCSE exams were coming up so it was the right time to call it a day. I knew it couldn’t last forever.”

It was back to Whitehaven for Brad, and back to St Benedict’s School. Although he’d spent a year there before leaving for London, he was very much “the new kid” when he returned three years later.

“I was only 14 but I wondered what to do next...”

He immersed himself back in local theatre, but at the same time was attending auditions for film and television roles. He was one of the final two candidates for a role in a film The Talisman, to be directed by Steven Spielberg. But just before the final audition, the project was scrapped by Spielberg in favour of developing War Horse.

He was more successful however with an audition that followed for the Disney Channel and won the role of Dylan in teen comedy As The Bell Rings.

Filmed in London, Brad, then 15, combined his television work and his studies and says he will be “forever grateful” to St Benedict’s School for supporting him through this period.

He was in As The Bell Rings for its second and final series, but was retained by Disney as a recurring artist, presenting and performing for the channel on a regular basis over the next two years.

And his performances caught the eye. He was nominated for a BAFTA in 2010 for Best Breakthrough Talent, and in March this year battled Messrs Pattinson, Radcliffe and Smith for Best Actor at the prestigious Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in LA, losing out to Twilight star Robert Pattinson.

“It was unbelievable to be nominated against names like that,” said Brad, who combined his role as a nominee with interviewing duties for Nickelodeon and spent the awards ceremony rubbing shoulders with the likes of Colin Firth, Jim Carrey, Jack Black and One Direction.

He’s in Whitehaven for a brief stay – including a show at Rosehill tomorrow (Friday) – and heads back to Liverpool afterwards for a seven-month stint to film series three of teen drama House of Anubis, where he’ll be solving mysteries as nerdy Fabian. It’ll be broadcast on Nickelodeon early next year.

So what does the future hold for Brad?

“I’d like to do more in America, and I’ve got agents in London and Los Angeles working together to hopefully make that happen.

“But what I also like to do something at home. I am always thinking about Whitehaven whenever I’m away, and I’d love to set up an academy here to create opportunities for local kids to perform and hopefully help some local talent get a big break in film or television.”

Brad will be performing at Rosehill Theatre tomorrow (Friday) alongside St Bees band Shore, plus special guests Cathy and John Marcangelo and Martin Kelly. Tickets are £12 on 01946 692422.